Apparatus and method for unloading railway freight cars



06L 7, 1969 I w; KEMP ETAL 3,471,043

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR UNLOADING RAILWAY FREIGHT CARS Filed' Feb. 12, 195a 4 Shee ts-Sheet 1 INVEVNTORS.

ZWILLARD E. KEMP DAVID P. GR'IM' ATTORNEY Oct. 7, 1969 w, KEMP 'ET AL APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR UNQOADING RAILWAY FREIGHT CARS 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 12. 1968 T FIG. 4

FIG. 3.

Oct. 7, 1969 w, E, M ETAL 3,471,043

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR UYNLOADING RAILWAY FREIGHT CARS Filed Feb. 12. 1968 I 4 Sheets-Sheet a A FR ' /219 2, g 6'7 3 g J A FIG. 5;

f ll/' //2l9 Oct. 7, 1969 w. E. KEMP ETAL- 3,471,043

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR UNLOADING RAILWAY FREIGHT CARS Filed Feb. 12, 1968 I 3 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent US. Cl. 214-44 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A railway flat car having an open bottom container thereon for transporting ladings, such as wood chips. The lading within the container is unloaded by moving the container in a horizontal direction off the railway flat car or moving the fiat car along the track While the container is restrained against movement. During the horizontal separation of the open bottom container and fiat car, a vertical wall of the container forms a pusher to push the lading from the deck of the flat car with the lading falling through the open bottom of the container as the container clears the deck of the flat car.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is particularly adapted for the unloading of ladings into an open area beneath or alongside the railway track. For example, wood chips are normally unloaded into a pit area beneath the railway track. Heretofore, railway gondola cars have commonly been employed to carry wood chips and rotary dump installations have been provided at the pit areas to dump the gondola cars. Rotary dump installations are relatively complex and expensive in addition to requiring the railway cars to be equipped with rotary couplers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a simple and economical system for the unloading of lading into a pit area beneath or alongside the railway track. An open bottom container is carried by a flat car with the deck of the flat car forming the bottom of the container. Lading, such as wood chips, within the container is unloaded by relative horizontal movement between the container and flat car with one wall of the container acting as a pusher to clear the deck of the lading. The railway car may be pulled from beneath the container with trackside supports supporting and restraining the container against movement. If desired, the container may be pushed or moved horizontally from the deck of the car with a Wall of the container unloading the lading from a side or an end of the car. The lading drops from the deck of the car as the container clears the deck of the railway car.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which several of various possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated,

ice

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of the present invention illustrating an open bottom container on the deck of a railway car at an unloading installation;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the lading being unloaded with the open bottom container being supported in a slightly raised restrained position and acting as a pusher to remove lading from the deck of the railway flat car as the railway car is moved from beneath the container;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse section taken generally along line 33 of FIGURE 1 and illustrating the open bottom container in supported position on the flat car;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section taken generally along line 44 of FIGURE 2 and illustrating the container in a raised position above the deck for unloading;

FIGURE 5 is a section of a further embodiment of the invention in which side sills project above the deck of the car for restraining the lading being unloaded and an adjustable scraper is mounted on an end wall of the container;

FIGURE 6 is a section taken generally along line 66 of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is an end elevation, partly diagrammatic, illustrating another embodiment of this invention in which the container is unloaded from a side of the railway car.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of this invention and more particularly to the embodiment shown in FIGURES 1-4, a railway flat car is indicated generally at 10 and includes a deck 12 having a smooth even surface without any projections or obstructions. Channel-shaped side sills 14 are secured beneath deck 12 along the outer sides of deck 12. Stringers 16 are secured between deck 12 and transverse cross bearers 18. A center sill indicated generally at 20 extends longitudinally the length of railway car 10. Spaced along each side of deck 12 are a plurality of stake pockets generally indicated 22 and having aligned openings in the deck and the upper flange of the adjacent side sills 14. Wheeled trucks 24 beneath each end of flat car 10 are adapted to ride on rails 26 forming a track.

Supported on the upper surface of deck 12 is an open bottom container generally indicated 28 and comprising connected end walls 30 and side walls 32. Spaced along each side wall 32 are tubular holders 34 receiving locking pins 36. Outturned handles 38 on locking pins 36 extend outwardly through vertically extending slots 40 in tubular holders 34 and may be gripped manually. As shown in FIGURE 3, locking pins 36 are received within stake pockets 22 and the aligned openings in deck 12 and upper flanges of side sills 14.

Mounted for sliding movement within a sleeve 41 fixed adjacent each end of each side wall 32 is a support rod 42. A retainer 44 on the inner end of each support rod 42 limits the outward movement of rod 42 as indicated in FIGURE 4. If desired, suitable cross braces (not shown) may be secured between walls 30, 32 for reinforcing purposes.

To support and restrain the movement of container 28. during unloading, fixed support stands indicated generally 46 are positioned alongside rails 26. Support stands 46 include vertical legs 48 and an upper cross member 50. Cross member 50 includes an upper cam surface 52 and an end stop 54. An associated support rod 42 is adapted to ride along cam surface 52 and abut end stop 54 in an unloading position as shown in FIGURE 2.

For relative horizontal movement between container 28 and fiat car 10 at an unloading area, a suitable car puller is arranged including a winch 53 having a cable 55 and an end hook 56 adapted to engage an end of flat car 10 as shown in FIGURE 2.

Container 28 is shown in transport position on railway car 10 in FIGURES 1 and 3 with releasably locking pins 36 being received within stake pockets 22. At the unloading area, locking pins 36 are lifted upwardly by handles 38 for removal from stake pockets 22. Then, retracted support rods 42 are extended outwardly to the position shown in FIGURES 2 and 4. An open pit to receive the lading is provided beneath and alongside rails 26.

In unloading, winch 53 is actuated to initially pull car 10 and container 28 simultaneously until support rods 42 are resting against end stops 54. In this position as shown in FIGURE 4, container 28 has been cammed upwardly by cam surfaces 52 and is supported above deck 12 a distance D of around two (2) inches, for example. Continued movement of flat car 10 along rails 26 provides relative horizontal movement between container 28 and an end wall 30 acts as a pusher to push the lading, such as wood chips, from deck 12 as railway car 10 is pulled from beneath open bottom container 28. The lading falls downwardly by gravity into a subjacent pit area.

Referring to FIGURES and 6, another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in which fiat car A has side sills 57 which project above deck 12A and confine or guide the lading being unloaded. Mounted on each end wall 30A of container 28A is a scraper or wiper 58 having slots 60 receiving guides 62. Retainer clips 64 secured to end wall 30A aid in retaining scrapper 58 upon vertical movement of scraper 58 in slots 60. Thus, upon the unloading of ladings, relative horizontal movement is provided between fiat car 10A and container 28A, such as in the embodiment of FIGURES I4 and the lading is pushed from an end of the car as the car is pulled from beneath container 28A.

Referring to FIGURE 7, a further embodiment of this invention is illustrated diagrammatically in which lading is unloading at an unloaded area by horizontal movement of an open bottom container 28B from a side of railway car 10B. A fixed support indicated generally 68 is positioned alongside the railway track at the unloading site and has arms 70 which are mounted for extension and retraction. For unloading, arms 70 are extended beneath end support rods 72 on the end walls of container 28B and a cable hook 74 on cable 76 engages each end of container 28B. Winch 77 is actuated and container 28B is pulled along arms 70 and an inclined support section 78 onto the upper surface of support 68 as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 7. The lading falls from the open bottom container 28B as the container clears the side of the railway car 10.

SUMMARY From the foregoing, it will be understood that a novel system for unloading ladings, particularly light-weight ladings, such as wood chips, has been developed employing an open bottom container and a railway flat car forming a closure for the open bottom. The container may comprise a hopper having an open bottom outlet or bottom with the fiat car forming a closure for the bottom. The lading is unloaded by relative horizontal movement between the railway car and the container with a wall of the container acting as a pusher to push the lading from the car as the container clears the deck upon such relative movement.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results obtained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A system for unloading lading comprising, a railway fiat car having a deck, an open bottom container supported on the deck and having connected end walls and side walls to confine relatively light-weight particulate lading supported on the deck of the flat car, said side walls having laterally extending projections thereon, support means alongside the railway car for supporting the container thereon and restraining the container against longitudinal horizontal movement in one direction when the container is supported on said means, said support means coacting with said projections to raise the container from the deck of the railway car and to support the container during unloading, and means to pull the railway flat car from beneath the container when said container is supported on said support means and restrained against movement thereby with an end wall of the container acting as a pusher to push the lading off the deck of the railway car as the container clears the deck.

2. In combination, a railway flat car having a deck, an open bottom container supported on the deck and having connected end walls and side walls to house relatively light-weight particulate lading supported on the deck of the flat car, said side Walls having laterally extending projections thereon, means alongside the railway car coacting with said projections to raise the container from the deck of the railway car and to support the container during unloading, and means to provide relative horizontal movement between the railway car deck and the container acting as a pusher to push the lading off the deck of the railway car as the container clears the deck.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein releasable securing means secure the open bottom container to the deck of the railway car, said securing means being movable between secured and unsecured positions relative to the container.

4. In combination, a railway fiat car having a deck, an open bottom container supported on the deck and having connected end walls and side walls to house relatively light-weight particulate lading supported on the deck of the flat car, means alongside the railway car for supporting the container thereon, and means to provide relative horizontal movement between the railway car deck and the container with one wall of the container acting as a pusher to push the lading olf the deck of the railway car as the container clears the deck, said one wall having a vertically movable scraper thereon mounted for vertical movement by gravity to engage the deck of the car upon any vertical spacing of the container from the deck.

5. A system for unloading lading comprising, a railway flat car having a deck, and open bottom container supported on the deck and having connected end walls and side walls to confine relatively light-weight particulate lading supported on the deck of the flat car, support means alongside the railway car for supporting the container thereon and restraining the container against longitudinal horizontal movement in one direction when the container is supported on said means, means on said container cooperating with said support means to raise the container from the deck of the railway car and to support the container during unloading, and means to pull the railway flat car from beneath the container when said container is supported in raised position on said support means and restrained against movement thereby with an end wall of the container acting as a pusher to push the lading oil? the deck of the railway car as the container clears the deck.

6. In combination, a railway flat car having a deck, an open bottom container supported on the deck and having connected end walls and side walls to house relatively light-weight particulate lading supported on the deck of the flat car, means adjacent one side of the fiat car for supporting the container thereon during un- 10 References Cited ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

gg gg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 7 3 Dated ctober 7, 1969 Inventor(s) Willard E. Kemp et al.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

I' Column 3, line +0, for 'ecrapper" read scraper Column I, line 42, after "container" insert with a wall of the container line 63, for 'and" read an SIGNED AND SEALED MAY 191970 (SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. member. l wIm-Luu z. W. 8. An g Officer Gomissionar 01 mm 

